The Server Location Germany: Eight Advantages in Detail

The server location is considered less important by some users - for them, whether a dedicated or virtual server is located abroad or in Germany is of little interest as long as the price for the promised services is affordable. For a simple private website for family and friends, such an attitude is understandable, as there is hardly any need for a critical examination of certifications or tier classes, and the slightly higher latencies with a server location abroad do not have any negative impact on things like regional search engine optimisation (SEO) rankings. However, the situation is different for commercial websites, especially for e-commerce and online shops: Here, a server location outside of Germany can potentially bring significant disadvantages.

Why is Germany an interesting server location?

When it comes to expanding mobile broadband, some experts may consider Germany as a developing country with significant gaps in the mobile network coverage in rural areas. However, in terms of digital infrastructure and connectivity to the global internet, Germany proves to be an attractive and flexible server location with excellent bandwidth and internationally competitive prices. Due to its size and importance in the market, Germany has developed a very well-established and extensive infrastructure with data centres in different tier classes and a wide range of products. Furthermore, the level of trained professionals in computer science and information technology (IT) in Germany is relatively high on a global scale, enabling reliable support and professional service at the server location. Because of these and other advantages, Germany enjoys a good reputation internationally as a server location and is valued even by foreign companies and globally operating corporations. Some of the positive attributes mentioned repeatedly in surveys of IT professionals both domestically and internationally include:

• Extensive selection of Dedicated Servers, Virtual Private Servers, and Cloud solutions
• Relatively low costs for comparable services in global price comparisons
• High reliability and professional management of hardware and software
• Availability of numerous data centres in multiple Tier classes
• Flexibility in pricing models enabling extensive scalability
• Customisation of offers according to individual priorities is often possible
• Multi-lingual support often available even with smaller providers
• Comprehensive data protection in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Argument 1 for the Server Location Germany: Affordable prices for IT services in data centres

Germany is an important market for the IT industry, with a significant and consistent demand for current hardware and software that is stable. Due to the international orientation of the German economy, there is also a powerful and extensive logistics network that facilitates the transportation of goods. This benefits the server location in Germany as well, because components and electronic parts are offered relatively cheaply due to low costs and high quantities. In global comparison, Virtual Private Servers, Dedicated Servers, or Cloud Hosting in Germany demonstrate an excellent price-performance ratio.

Argument 2 for the Server Location Germany: Wide range of packages and scalable solutions

If you want to set up your own server, you need not only the appropriate expertise but also the right hardware. While a web server prioritises performance, a file server primarily requires ample storage space, which can also be on cheaper HDD drives. In Germany, as an international server location, there is stiff competition among providers - many try to gain a competitive edge over customers by offering a variety of options. Consequently, the search for the ideal product is diverse - smaller web hosts in Germany have focused on specific niches such as gaming servers, above-average performance, or storage capacities, and offer corresponding products at competitive prices.

Argument 3 for the server location Germany: Powerful hardware with flat-rate for traffic

The crucial cost factor for connecting to the global internet is less about bandwidth for multinational operators; instead, prices are primarily based on the data volume used in the wholesale market. Therefore, many international web hosts provide their customers with monthly quotas and charge additional fees for excess usage on the invoice. In contrast, the server location in Germany predominantly favours flat rates based on the Fair Use principle - they initially throttle bandwidth in case of excessive usage and contact the owner to identify the cause and find a mutually agreeable solution. This concept proves to be safer for end customers, especially with a contract, as there are no additional and unforeseeable costs.

Argument 4 for the server location Germany: High data protection in accordance with the German GDPR

The data protection plays a less significant role in many countries compared to a server location in Germany - often, state institutions and investigative authorities have extensive rights that allow them arbitrary access to digital information. This can lead to problems even for law-abiding users, for example, if a rented server has been infiltrated by cybercriminals and used for illegal activities. However, the significantly greater danger arises from the unnoticed trade in supposedly confidential data, some of which may come from their own clients or be captured through technical monitoring of the network without the knowledge or consent of the customers. The EU has strict regulations for this, with Germany being considered a server location with extremely low risk of misuse due to its comparatively restrictive GDPR and high public awareness.

Argument 5 for the Server Location Germany: Legal certainty in German language

A short-term termination without sufficient reasons and even a temporary suspension of services can immediately lead to significant financial losses and damages for commercial websites. Legal disputes including claims for damages are not uncommon in these cases. With a server location in Germany, affected parties can easily engage experienced lawyers for assistance and do not have to worry about foreign-language contract texts or judgments and their translation, nor unfamiliar legal norms. On a legal level, the server location in Germany thus provides high legal certainty and avoids an uncertain and unclear situation.

Argument 6 for the Server Location Germany: Easily understandable service and support

As the lingua franca in the IT industry is English, international providers usually offer customer support for foreign clients exclusively in this language and in a national foreign language. This can easily lead to misunderstandings, which can significantly complicate both simple inquiries about the service and the solution to technical problems or errors in the configuration. Furthermore, staff at a foreign server location are rarely familiar with the use of German anglicisms - the most well-known example is probably the word "Handy," which is exclusively used in Germany. A server location in the Federal Republic significantly contributes to making communication simple, clear, and mutually understandable, especially in small and medium-sized companies with a national focus.

Argument 7 for the server location Germany: Certifications by independent providers

It is a rather rare exception worldwide for web hosts or data centres to undergo an external examination at their server location and must present corresponding certifications . This also applies to Germany as a server location - however, certifications are relatively widespread here and include independent institutes such as TÜV. Since 2001, TÜV has been using the Trusted Site Infrastructure (TSI) examination order to ensure the secure operation of servers in a data centre, which is continuously adapted to current conditions after its introduction. The last comprehensive change took place in the context of the introduction of the European DIN EN 50600 in 2019, so that certifications according to the new catalog TSI.EN50600 are now also possible in accordance with EU guidelines.

Argument 8 for the server location Germany: Local proximity for minimal latencies

The connection between different continents is made through fibre optic cables, which transmit information at the speed of light. However, due to the distance, conversion, and processing through numerous different gateways, delays occur, causing servers in a geographically distant country to have significantly higher Server Response Times (SRT). While a response from a server located in Germany usually takes less than 20 milliseconds, the response time for recipients overseas - such as the USA - is typically between ten to twenty times longer. Therefore, for optimal network performance in terms of response speed and local SEO, it is always recommended to use servers in a nearby location within a maximum of 1000 kilometres.

Photo: Gerd Altmann on Pixabay